did any of you guys deliver sunbeam rapier fastbacks or own one, ive an origonal H120
I owned one many years ago, its reg was PYE 303L, light metallic blue, a cracking motor. Got a picture somewhere, I’ll have a look for it
would love to see it. ive an H120 original in garage. J reg. blue with black stripes.
Not a fastback, but I used to own a series 3 saloon, similar to this, back in 1975:
BTY 165 B
Metallic blue, walnut dash, 1500cc motor, 4 speed box with overdrive.
Lovely motor 
It went to meet its maker after some twonk side swiped me in Houghton le Spring after I was returning home from an evening’s spooning…
jimmy m:
did any of you guys deliver sunbeam rapier fastbacks or own one, ive an origonal H120
I used to keep a butter knife in my Bond Equipe, to scrape these off the bonnet! 
But, truly, they were the ultimate evolution of the Arrow series, weren’t they?
I broke my neck in a 1725 cc Hillman super minx same shape as one of those,a D reg,firms car,not mine.I had a Cortina much better.
not a rapier but here’s my ■■■■■■
240 Gardner:
jimmy m:
did any of you guys deliver sunbeam rapier fastbacks or own one, ive an origonal H120I used to keep a butter knife in my Bond Equipe, to scrape these off the bonnet!
But, truly, they were the ultimate evolution of the Arrow series, weren’t they?
Bond Equipe eh? Had one of those, which one did you have the herald based GT4 or the Vitesse based one erm, oh what was it called Equipe 6 or something like that. Enough fibreglass to float a battleship!!
mikeyb:
240 Gardner:
jimmy m:
did any of you guys deliver sunbeam rapier fastbacks or own one, ive an origonal H120I used to keep a butter knife in my Bond Equipe, to scrape these off the bonnet!
But, truly, they were the ultimate evolution of the Arrow series, weren’t they?
Bond Equipe eh? Had one of those, which one did you have the herald based GT4 or the Vitesse based one erm, oh what was it called Equipe 6 or something like that. Enough fibreglass to float a battleship!!
The 2 Litre - an ex-works prototype with some non-standard features 
Yep, had a convertable one of those!
mikeyb:
Yep, had a convertable one of those!
So did I - great fun!
hi, didn’t have a fastback but in the early 70’s i had a 1963 rapier series 111a with a jack brabham convertion sadly no pics,got a nice triumph stag now.
steve.
I had a hillman hunter GLS same engine as the H120 twin twin choke carbs,then i had a 1960 rapier with a sunbeam tiger V8 engine,the rapier had the same wheel base as the tiger so all the suspension and running gear bolted up to the rapier.
boyzee:
I had a hillman hunter GLS same engine as the H120 twin twin choke carbs,then i had a 1960 rapier with a sunbeam tiger V8 engine,the rapier had the same wheel base as the tiger so all the suspension and running gear bolted up to the rapier.
Blimey, I bet that flexed the Rapier shell! The Tigers had quite a bit of bracing compared to the Alpines, didn’t they? Mind you, I’ve read that they did build some experimental V8 Singer Vogues and Humber Imperials whilst they were playing about with the Ford V8s, but that Chrysler obviously canned the projects! Apparently, the Chrysler V8s wouldn’t fit in where the Ford ones had gone.
240 Gardner:
boyzee:
I had a hillman hunter GLS same engine as the H120 twin twin choke carbs,then i had a 1960 rapier with a sunbeam tiger V8 engine,the rapier had the same wheel base as the tiger so all the suspension and running gear bolted up to the rapier.Blimey, I bet that flexed the Rapier shell! The Tigers had quite a bit of bracing compared to the Alpines, didn’t they? Mind you, I’ve read that they did build some experimental V8 Singer Vogues and Humber Imperials whilst they were playing about with the Ford V8s, but that Chrysler obviously canned the projects! Apparently, the Chrysler V8s wouldn’t fit in where the Ford ones had gone.
Your right their were some humber imperials with chrysler V8,s when the roots group were taken over by chrysler they put a stop to the ford V8,s.I remember the roots racing imp,s would turn up at race tracks in the 60,s with a humber estate car with a chrysler V8.As for my rapier it had lots of metal struts and tube,s to make it stronger,i had owned a few tigers over the years includeing a mk2 4.7 litre one.The early tiger engine,s were only 4.2 litre and only reved to 4700rpm, giving 0 to 60 in around 9 secs and only 116 mph which is slow by todays standards.
boyzee:
240 Gardner:
boyzee:
I had a hillman hunter GLS same engine as the H120 twin twin choke carbs,then i had a 1960 rapier with a sunbeam tiger V8 engine,the rapier had the same wheel base as the tiger so all the suspension and running gear bolted up to the rapier.Blimey, I bet that flexed the Rapier shell! The Tigers had quite a bit of bracing compared to the Alpines, didn’t they? Mind you, I’ve read that they did build some experimental V8 Singer Vogues and Humber Imperials whilst they were playing about with the Ford V8s, but that Chrysler obviously canned the projects! Apparently, the Chrysler V8s wouldn’t fit in where the Ford ones had gone.
Your right their were some humber imperials with chrysler V8,s when the roots group were taken over by chrysler they put a stop to the ford V8,s.I remember the roots racing imp,s would turn up at race tracks in the 60,s with a humber estate car with a chrysler V8.As for my rapier it had lots of metal struts and tube,s to make it stronger,i had owned a few tigers over the years includeing a mk2 4.7 litre one.The early tiger engine,s were only 4.2 litre and only reved to 4700rpm, giving 0 to 60 in around 9 secs and only 116 mph which is slow by todays standards.
Hi,
I owned a 65 sunbeam tiger for about 10yrs, I rescued it from a yard and rebuilt it , I sold it 10yrs later when spares were almost unobtainable. I knew it was an early car as I had seen several with a similar reg in press photo’s mine was EDU 290C, the original log book said its first owner was Humber ltd Stoke works Coventry. Last year I saw an owners club site and thought I would ask if anyone knew of the car and the chap who contacted me said by the chassis no. it was the very first pre production model.
Sadly someone borrowed a book on the tiger from me which contained photos of the car and never returned it 
I have one very old faded photo but I don’t think it will scan very well. I had always wanted one of these cars after seeing them built at Jensen motors West Brom. If I had known it was special to the mark I would never have sold it 
1 Like
Back in 1960 through to1966 my dad had a garage in chadwell heath essex,it was a roots group main dealer.They supplied humbers,hillmans,singer and sunbeam cars.The first tigers we had in came through Ray Powell at leytonstone,i would go with my dad to collect them.The early cars had round edges to the bottom of the doors and also the edges of the bonnet,later 66/7 cars had square edges.We had a black tiger brand new in stock for over a year and could,nt sell it so my dad dropped the price i think they were around ÂŁ1400 new to ÂŁ1100.A second hand car dealer bought it and tried to make a quick profit on it only to find that buyer,s knew it was an early model because of the round door and bonnet edges.I was only 16 in 1965 but on a sunday morning i would get up early an put a set of trade plates on a new tiger and take it for a drive over to hainault and back before my dad got up,I loved the sound of the V8. The police in essex had a white tiger for some years and also a daimler dart.Although they did,nt rev much the standard car would do 50 in 1st 72 in 2nd 100 in 3rd and 116 in top.Happy days back then no camera,s an police on little noddy bikes.
about 12 years ago one of the pre-production H120s came up for sale. it was the only one on an F plate.
You are greatly missed Trev, EDU290C was sold in London about 1991 and never been seen since, the Tiger i eventually found as a substitute the same green and promised Rose she would be the first passenger in memory of old times.
I can remember when they were as cheap as chips knew someone in the local scene who managed shoe horn a 302 engine into a MK2.
I think unsurprisingly got written off when its engine power finally predictably overtook its braking power in the wrong place.
1 Like